Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-16
A Letter from Mr.. Cooper.
To tic Editor of the Dispatch:

To the EditOr Of the Dispatch;
In your editorial this morning you
deprecate and censure the course of the
agents of the bondholders for actively
attempting to promote the use of cou-
pons for taxes pending the negotiations
for settlement by compromise, and
there may be bit of insinuation in it
that it is not keeping faith for the
bondholders to be doing this under the
circumstances. Though / am not
named in that article / am named
III another article of the same issue
in this connection, and it would be
afiectation on my part to suppose that /
am not the "agents" referred to. /
therefore ask you to let me point out
certain considerations which seem to
me entirely to justify and necessitate
my present course. In the first place,
these negotiations have been proffered
by the State just at the time when the
bulk of the taxes become due. If l do
not take advantage of this opportunity
to induce and promote the use of cou-
pons, it would be the whole Of another
year before [ have similar opportu-
nifty to do so, save in respect TO that
part of the taxes which becomes due in
the fall. When the next opportunity
does arise the Legislature OF Virginia
may proffer new negotiations, and,
on the logic of your position, it
would be my duty to again
refrain from promoting the use of cou-
pons, and SO this might go on ad inf
nit,im. When we have it declared on
all sides that the State authorities, in
the negotiations about toopen, propose
to plant themselves on the Riddle
berger bill, and when we know that
the bondholders will not accept it, does
the prospect Of settlement by agree
ment seem so imminent rs to compel
me to forego the only other method of
procedure by which there is any chance
to get the money of myself and friends?
Were l disposed to respond to crimina-
ton by recrimination, might say that
if there is any breach of faith involved
in the matter at all the fault is ON the
side of the State authorities.
There are at the present moment
pending against me, and undismissed
in the Hastings Court Of the city Of
Richmond, two indictments-and for
what ? Because Isold my coupons and
those of my friends to the taxpayers Of
the State and have undertaken to do
everything that the law will allow me
to DO to secure the purchasers of them
in their peaceful right to use them eff
fectively. There are likewise pending
in the same court and undismissed five
indictments against our attorney and
counsel, Mr.. w. L. Royal, for what
amounts in substance to the same
thing. There are pending at Frede-
ricksburg and undismissed indictments
against ten or twelve merchants for using
coupons in payment of their licenses.
Within the past ten days the trea-
surer of Winchester has sold tax-pay-
er's horse because he refused to paw
money and demanded his right to stand
on the tender of the coupons he bought
from me. In every quarter OF the State
my agents are annoyed by indictments
which are being pressed against them
for selling my coupons prior to the
time that any commission icds douqh
Of There is still outstanding an order
from the Auditor to every treasurer
commanding him 10 levy ON and sell
The property Of every taxpayer that
has bought my coupons, and at
sached to it is q guarantee of
he Indemnity Board that it will re-
mburse out Of the State Treasury for |
III damages 10 which the treasurers
may be subjected ON account Of these |
levies. Finally, there has
passed the Senate and there is pending |
n the House Of Delegates with every |
'rospect Of its passing the latter house, ]